UNESCO Calls for Equal Educational Opportunities for Children
Every child should have the right to education. UNESCO announced on “International Day of Education” (January 24) that 617 million children and adolescents worldwide still cannot read or do basic arithmetic.
Thursday, February 4 (January 24) marked the first-ever “International Day of Education.” UNESCO and the United Nations workshop for assisting refugees called for better education for children. German schools also require greater attention.
On the occasion of the first International Day of Education, UNESCO criticized the poor state of education for children. The UN education agency announced that 262 million children and adolescents worldwide still lack access to education, and 617 million lack literacy and numeracy skills. UNESCO also called for equal educational opportunities in Germany.
In Germany, teacher shortage is particularly noticeable. With the increase in the number of students and the fact that many teachers have retired, Germany currently needs thousands of new teachers annually.
According to the United Nations workshop for assisting refugees, a German organization based in Bonn and partner of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, refugee children are particularly deprived of education. Four million children from refugee families do not attend school.
The organization announced on Thursday in Bonn: “It is very important that refugee children receive education so they can create better prospects for their lives. Therefore, educational opportunities must be provided for children from refugee families.”
In recent years, this UN partner organization has supported educational projects by spending three million euros. Of this amount, 1.9 million euros was spent in Kenya, where it supported educational projects for children in refugee camps. 150,000 euros has also been spent on educational projects in Germany.
According to a report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, only 61 percent of refugee children worldwide attend school. Educational conditions in most countries that have accepted refugees are inadequate.
These conditions worsen as refugee children get older. Worldwide, only one percent of refugee children attend university.
Source: DW
